18- New Beginnings… chapter eighteen

Lynn invited Walter to stay at her townhouse- he was much better, his check-up went well but he was far from being back in working condition, so still using the cane. Relaxing at her place with the full guest bedroom would do him wonders, she said. So, he packed some clean clothes for a couple days, she opened the front trunk of the Corvair for his duffle and laptop. He got in the passenger side and they took off.

"This really is a nice car- not too big, not too small- quiet with the engine in the back."

"What surprises many people is how they are in winter…. where it snows, that is. Get good traction with the weight in the rear. Always meant I could make it to school on snowy days if the snow was not so deep to call school off for the day. Was a bummer at the time, though."

"You race this or the coupe when Richard gets the track for company day?"

"The coupe- this is a 110 horse, the coupe a 140 horse. Every horse counts when racing Joe and his Porsche…. it is a little Porsche 911, but beating him is a good thing. Bragging rights of OLD American air-cooled over German engineering so-called excellence."

"People do have an often times misplaced opinion over one engineering design over another. Advertising does wonders, especially to non-engineers."

"Ever hear of a Devin-C?"

"No, the 'C' designation is for Corvair, I assume?"

"Yup, guy, Bill Devin, made them from 1955 to 1964- fiberglass body. Used VW and Porsche engines when he first got started. Did a bunch of one-offs with everything from Jag to Ford and Chevy engines. Then in time used Corvair 102 engine and the ultimate the 1962 Corvair turbo engine. Wipes out just about everything….. and is quite the cutie- two seater with a flat-opposed air-cooled six turbo. Body being fiberglass weights next to nothing. Well, here we are, come on in and in the mood for some pizza? Enough car talk- one thing about Corvair owners, we can just go on and on when we have a captive audience…. nobody seems to appreciate them like we owners do."

Walter, following Lynn as she turned on lights through the place to the guest room put the duffle on the chair in the room. "Nice place, and thank you for the invite. No stairs is still a good thing."

"Yes, I bet you are looking forward to the next check-up. I take it the doctor and nurse again said to take it easy, right?" Lynn asked. "Pizza and a game of chess- your idea of a fun filled evening?"

Walter chuckled, "so short an acquaintance yet you know me so well."

"You can stretch out on the sofa and get comfortable while I call for delivery," Lynn said going into the kitchen to make the call and gather napkins and bottles of water from the fridge. "What kind of music you like as if I will be surprised when you say classical, right?"

"As I said, short acquaintance but you know me. You are right, first concert I went to when I was twelve was Handel, but why would you automatically assume classical?"

"Come on Walter, you are a totally classical man. Logical, aloof, chess player, mathematician when most classical music is mathematical- look at Mozart, and newer Ravel's Bolero. However, you are going to branch out this evening and get some old but not classical Moody Blues." The delivery knocked on the door so Lynn got the pizza and put the box on the coffee table, handed Walter a napkin and slice then set up the chess board.

Once again, Walter won. "So now I only have one hundred one more games to go- IF I can spot your trend before you do," Lynn said laughing. "Don't know about you, but time to hit the hay. The guest room is all yours. Breakfast in the morning- scrambled eggs, sausage, toast and coffee sound good?"

"Sounds fine, good night, Lynn," Walter said going into the guest room while Lynn went upstairs. Walter opened his duffle and pulled out clean boxers, drawstring waist sweatpants and a t-shirt, went in, took a shower, dried off, dressed and went to bed- if the nightmare hits tonight, he will be fully covered if he wakes Lynn- but he stayed awake all night thinking of past tournament chess games. In the morning he got up, dressed in jeans and t-shirt, brushed his teeth and shaved then went to the living room and set up the chessboard again. He was going over a past game when Lynn joined him.

"You didn't sleep at all did you?"

"What makes you say that?" Walter asked looking up when she entered the room.

"You said on the roof that talking of the bombing would cause nightmares, yet nothing all night. I know when I will have nightmares- very rare now-a-days- my doctor helped a lot as has just time. Why yours stick around still after so long?"

"Who knows? Different minds function differently," Walter chuckled. "You know mine works in strange ways, so why worry. Sooner or later, better later. So what do you have on the agenda for today?"

"Breakfast first thing, then putter around the house, do laundry, maybe go for a drive. Let me get the coffee going, how about some orange juice and I will rattle pots and pans."

The day was spent pleasantly. Walter kicked back while she did laundry to get ready for her work week. In the evening, another chess game that Walter won while finishing off the pizza. After the game, Walter went into the guest room and packed up his stuff in the duffle and brought it out.

"What's up?" Lynn asked. "Thought you be staying a couple days."

"You have work tomorrow, I have a laptop to load up and programming to do, so a nice ride to the garage to end the pleasant weekend."

"You don't want to stay longer?"

"Stop in the garage after work and we can go have dinner if you like," Walter said, "but my new laptop is calling and wants to be made into that, how did you put it, 'O'Brien special super-duper, one of a kind, laptop of excellence'. Won't do it on its own sitting on the desk in the garage."

"Your call, boss. What you want coupe or convertible?"

"Convertible of course, just the thing for a pleasant evening drive."

Getting to the garage, Walter got out. "Thanks for a pleasant two days. I will let you know how the laptop of excellence is doing- you will get my first message with it. Have a good night, Lynn, and thanks again." He opened up then reset security and went to his desk turning on lights to start work. Couple days of being up with just the short doze on the roof, Walter called it a night. Went up to the loft, took a shower and in clean boxers went up on the roof for a bit but got chilly so returned to the loft. Set up coffee for in the morning and sat for a bit before turning off the lights to go to bed. After staring at the ceiling for a while he dozed off then into a deep sleep and after a time, the nightmare started. Tossing and murmurs in time the gasps for breath and getting tangled up in the sheets to fight and the horrified call for Megan to run, RUN!

Lynn had driven off but came back around in an hour to sit a ways from the garage to watch. Seeing the downstairs lights go out and the loft lights go on, seeing the light on the roof when the door to the roof was opened. Seeing in time all the loft lights go out she continued to wait and watch. If he changed the security code this is a waste, she thought. Then pulled the car up to the door and shut it down. Putting in the security code she entered to hear his muttering. With the Scorpion Explosives sign night light, she made her way to the stairs and going up could hear him in the throes of his nightmare, calling to his sister to run, run, run. Lynn turned on the loft kitchen light and by it she went into his bedroom to see him thrashing, gasping and the tears as he yelled, "MEGAN!" She grasped his shoulders, "Walter, WALTER!"

"Ahhhgh. Fine, fine," he murmured. "I'm fine," and his unfocused eyes closed as he laid back in deep sleep again. Lynn went back to the sofa and sat for a bit but he seemed to have passed the worst and is resting well. She remained for a while, quietly checked on him, then went back downstairs and let herself out setting the security and drove home forgetting she left the loft kitchen light on.

Walter awoke in the morning. Getting up he went to the kitchen to start the coffee and saw the kitchen light was on and frowned. He stood for a moment then, still in boxers, he went downstairs and powered up the desktop unit then brought up the security feed and reviewed the past twelve hours to see Lynn enter the garage.

"Thought I rested too well," Walter muttered, returning to the loft to get his first cup of coffee for the day to take into the bedroom to drink while getting dressed. Refilling his coffee and shutting the brewer down, he descended the steps to return to his desk and continue modifying and loading up the soon to be O'Brien laptop of excellence. Opening a desk drawer he pulled out assorted micro SD cards and memory sticks to load from the desktop to install in the laptop. Within a few hours he set it up to send a message to Lynn:

Lynn- You get the first message of the super-duper laptop of excellence- thank you. Would like to take you out for dinner after work if you like. Walter

Walter then continued his work on the laptop it was already faster as built to his specs of newer chips when ordered and contained more data than the former laptop still residing in the local police evidence locker. Once completed, he sent off another message-

Richard- Back in working order- with cane but much better. Stuck in the garage needing something to do. What have you that needs looked into? Walter

Getting up to get fresh coffee Walter in the downstairs kitchen, the new alert for new mail sounded.

Walter- Dinner sounds good, I will bring some with a good movie to watch- have a set up for playing DVD's on a flat screen where we can sit comfortably? A good black and white flick from a different era. Lynn

Walter read that and hit reply.

Lynn- Not exactly what I was thinking, but you have come up with a better idea-looking forward to it. Will have a flat screen set up at the common area sofa- pillows and blankets for comfort. Black and White? That is a few era's ago. Walter

Another alert- new mail from Richard.

Walter- Have a number of data storage sites needing security up grades. Monday I will send a car to pick you up at nine in the morning and get you to the first on the list and back to the garage so you need not drive. The driver will give you a number to call when ready to go back to load new security. The next site will be given AFTER you take off a day to rest. Per doctor's orders, NO driving, minimum walking WITH cane until NEXT scheduled check-up. Richard

Walter got up shaking his head muttering to himself that he was not that fragile. Going to the closet under the stairs he pulled out a 36" flat screen, took the protective covering off and set it on the coffee table in the common area, got the cheesy laptop that had a DVD drawer and ran cables to power up and get everything set up for a movie night. Slowly went up to the loft to grab a couple pillows, put clean cases on them grabbed a couple light blankets from the cabinet and returned downstairs to put everything on the sofa. Sitting on the sofa to take a breather he then stretched out, maybe I am that fragile for a while yet he thought closing his eyes to doze.

Sometime later he woke up to soft noises in the kitchen to sit up and see Lynn unpacking Chinese take-out containers.

"Resting as much as possible is a good thing. Looks like you did a lot today. Not supposed to over-do it, you know. Still have another check-up in a week to get through or Nurse Rachael will be most displeased," Lynn said. "Ready for some chow mein, orange chicken and fried rice and the best part of all- fortune cookies!"

"Sorry, did not mean to drift off. And thank you for last night- rested better than expected."

"How did you know I popped in?"

"Like I said, rested better than expected, checked the security feed. You really should not hang around outside here that late at night. Just come in anytime, as I said. My door is always open for you, there is no alarm should the place be opened by the code, even if I am asleep and you need to be here."

"And, like I have said, have gone through the nightmare scenario. So you ready for good dinner?"

"Sounds good, and what is this ancient black and white movie I am to watch?"

"Since you were not raised here, you need to experience what so many American youngsters did- the middle of the night black and white flicks of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the ancient slicked back hair of men and clingy silk dresses of the twenties."

"So at the ripe old age of thirty-four I am going to experience American childhood? How old were you watching what, even then, were ancient films?"

"Twelve, thirteen years old, up all night watching movies til dawn, all the oldies of the twenties, thirties into the forties. The old Maltese Falcon, Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Daddy Longlegs, 42nd Street, A Star is Born, on and on, then into the westerns with Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Alan Ladd. Lots and lots to catch you up to date."

"I know it isn't polite to ask, but just how old are you?" Walter asked. "Ancient films, classic cars, old but not classical music."

"Oh, Walter, shame on you, asking a female her age. I am old enough to know better, and young enough to not care…. think that is how the saying goes. Go sit I will bring your plate- water to drink? The DVD is in my purse. The Maltese Falcon. Humphry Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet as the fat man. One of the truly great oldies. Peter Lorre is fantastic- love that guy. This was made in 1941, but was the first on hand. And be prepared- people smoke cigarettes all through the film."

"OK, I am prepared for this- smoking, huh? Wow. This is going to be interesting."

"Have you really never seen old flicks like this? You did know 'make an offer you can't refuse' from the Godfather- you saw that movie? One of the first to have really realistic violence."

"No, didn't see it. That has been used as a phrase for a long time and caught it in use often that is was from a gangster movie."

"OK, food in hand, DVD is in, kick back and watch."

"SO, what did you think of it?"

"So many people wasting time looking for something that might be anywhere in the world? Too bad they didn't have computers to track back then. How many of those people died of lung cancer? So he will wait for Brigid until she is out of jail for murder?"

"Oh Walter, you are so very sensible, down to earth- just can't suspend that reality can you?" Lynn said laughing. Getting up she gathered things up to put in the dishwasher. "So how is the O'Brien laptop of excellence coming?"

"All done, so ready for use. Monday Richard is sending a driver to take me to a data center to start the security up grades on his sites. He does not want me driving and instructed I must use a cane. Everyone sure thinks I am helpless and fragile." Walter laid on half the sofa with legs over the arm. "I am fine as long as I keep the back straight and supported, see, just fine."

Lynn sat down on the sofa. "Not helpless, nor fragile, just a bit battered and needing time to fully heal. Broken bones take time, the damage you did exacerbated your injuries. Everyone wants you healthy and back to your normal cheerful, pleasant self." She ran her fingers through his hair- "You going to let it grow longer to hide the scar on your shoulder?"

"Yes, it has been suggested I let it grow…. as long as it stays out of my eyes."

"How about a game of chess then I gotta' take off for home. I'll get it set up- stay flat for the time being… or can I just tell you the moves and move yours for you?"

"Been a long time, but sure, staying flat feels good right now- may have spent too much time at the desk with the laptop this afternoon."

"Wow, that is impressive. Different level of concentration you said. Sure got that right- and the shortest game so far. Now I only have a hundred games to go. You need help getting upstairs? Where is your cane?"

"This is fine for a while- cane is by the desk."

"Nope, upstairs with you- I leave you like this you will stay here like this all night- you need to stretch out. Come on, let's get you up there then I gotta' go." Lynn got his cane and helped him up. "You can sleep as late as possible, I will set coffee up down here so it is ready." Lynn helped him up and up the stairs to the loft. "Have a good night, Walter, I will set the security when I leave."

"Good night, Lynn, and thanks again."